Europe accuses Israel of trying to divide it

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, accused Israel on Thursday of trying to "divide and rule" the 27-nation bloc.

Bildt's remarks came after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman thanked those EU member states that opposed the original wording of a resolution passed earlier this week that called for Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate the division of Jerusalem.

The original draft, authored by Sweden, more or less recognized Jerusalem as the capital of "Palestine," a position that Israel warned would encourage Palestinian unilateralism and destroy the peace process.

The troublesome wording, including referring to the Palestinian Authority as "Palestine," concerned France, Germany and several other EU states resulting in its rewording.

Under the surface, of course, the new wording is no different than the original, as it predetermines the outcome of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations by insisting they conclude with the division of Jerusalem, which most Israelis do not accept.

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